Beet-harvester.



J. E. STONE.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED 001231, 1913.

1 1 21 ,686, Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

QWL-tmaooeo IHI: NORRIS PETERS co PHom-urno wAsHINGfON. D. C

J. E. STONE.

BERT HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED 001-31, 1913.

1,1 21,686. Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2'.

wuwwlioz wm m J5. JZane J. E. STONE.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLIOATION FILED 0m. a1, 1913.

1 1 21 ,686 I Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

3 sHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE NORRIS PETERS ca. PHOTO-LITHO WASHINL TON. D C

. '1 UNITED STATES PATE T orrron.

I JOHN njsroivn, or rmvrrn, TEXAS.

BEET-HARVESTER.

Specification Letters Patent. I

Application filed October 31,1913; Serial No. 798,489.

To all whomit maj cmicem: Be it known. that I, JOHN EyStronn, a citizen of the, United States, residing at Pampa, in the county of Gray an'd State of Texas, have invented ,new and useful Im,

provements in,;Beet l-Iarvesters, of .which the following isfa specification. v

The invention'has for its bjectflto effect improvements in a machine such. as illustrated in my co-pending applicationserial Number 761,811. a v f A particular aim is to improve the constructionof grabs, or beet-gripping de- V 'cheapen the manufacture of the grabs atvices, whereby beets of various sizes will be gripped with equal efficiency, and without liability of damage to anexcessive degree.

It is also a purpose to simplify and the sameftime that their efficiency is increased.

' dditional objects and advantages will 1 appear, some of which will be apparent from the following description, and from the drawings, inwhich,

Figure 1 is a side view-of the machine,

Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof looking toward the rear, Fig. 3 is a top view, Fig.

' 4, is a'detail of one of the grab units, Fig. 5,

. at the same time as a brace or truss for the frame 11, beingcarried'by a'series of trans verse bars 15 by which the elements of the frame v11 are-held in proper relation, as will be understood from the drawings without detailed explanation. f

a The operation of the grabs is dependent upon their engagement with the ground, anden'gagement thereof withbeets and release of the same are controlled by two annularcam and supportinghplates 16, having broad rear portions beginning at their lower sides andterminatingjustbeyond a topping device at the upper part ofthe machine. Briefly, the grabs consist of two sets of resiliently connected. groundengaging arms 19 and beetengaging arms, 18,'the latter being opposed, the plates 16. operatingbetween the" respective kinds of arms" in each .set, havlng narrow portions which allow the grabs to open under theeifectof the resilient connections. andhaving wide portions which force the opposed beet-engaging arms towardeach other. In my'improved construction the number of beet-engaging arms is double that of the f ground-engaging points, and the former are connected in 1 pairs with the latter. 'Thus a unit of the grab" devices consists of one ground-engaging arm and two beet-engaging arms.

The ground-engaging arm is comparatively broad:

andiconslsts of a pieceof heavy sheet metal I havln'gfloneend pointed, and bent to present two parts at right angles toveach other, the ground engaging "orpointed end 17 being (the longer, the other 20 extending horizontally and being securedto thegear ring 13. by suitable means, one convenient 1 method being by welding, as. these; parts "are of a fixed relation andfrequire to. be very rigidly held. I i I Opposite the gear 13, the horizontal portion 20 is provided with two guides 21,

whiclrmay be formedintegr'ally with. each other. Slic'lable intheseguides 21-there are stems 22 connected pivotally to the inner ends 'of the beet-engaging arms18, these stems beingcomparatively broad so that the arms 18,will be held securely in radial alinement with the [ground-engaging arms 19. Centrally of each of the arms 18 and 19 an elongated opening is formed, the metal of the arm at each end of the opening being pressed inwardly in the form ofparallel ears 23, the

,e'ars'on the arms 18 being spaced somewhat farther apart than those onthe arms 19.

Extended between theears on each arm there Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

are small shafts carrying, peripherally.

grooved rollers24c, of sufficient width to 12 and projects rearwardly and upwardly to support the grabs by the engagement of their flanges with the plates 16. I The rollers in both the plates 18 and '19 are of the same Width. and in the arms 18 have a certain amount of sliding. movement on the sup: porting shafts. The rollers are settas close Within the openings of the plates as possible, so that the transverse dimension of the unit will not be excessive.

each unit, whereby theengagingjaws 26 of the arms 18 tend'always to move into 00- en agem nt w h th s pp ite, w en th bre d p on s" Q'f repel-ee s are n e between the roller- 243, but may be checked a a n sllch en a m nt by nt p s d beet,the*breadth or the beet thus determiningthe spacing of the opposed jaws when ng n .Wh n. ena 'i c Pa s. of the pistes-1e; are interposed between the rollers, the opposed jaws are'caused by the springs to move away from each other to the outer limit of their movement, thefinner ends off he. ms 18 engaging es 't 1. POrtifO i 0 01: t a ed e ine mem e -1 Th rollers 2% will thus always rest closely against the edges of'thep'late 16. Carried between thefstringers 10. of the it'r ame' 10 there'aretwo-cro'ss beams 28 spaced longitudinallyo'ff the 'fram e'IO, between which there is supported" a; chute'29 having an enlarged" upper en di ee -r w r y' e c n ot t e grabs, and. p'r i t fil llqward y lose b eeth he g er gli be ng n l n 1 wardly to a point beneath the-fbejam l0 on thefleft side ofthe machine, its upperend bei'ngsha'ped suitably to catchthe tops se'veredbya topping device A, located centrally thercover'. J v Q The toppingfmechanism; consists of a k e a ying r er r t d nt sh t a point closelyadjacent the path of the jaws 26, being provided thereat' with abroad Plate 37, uponwhich there is" secured a Thebeets carriedby the grabs rise adja- "cent the rear part of the machine and move forwardly over the knif by t which" the tops are t i' e et telli g t 'c i 2 while'the beets are carried beyonduntil the termination of the broad parts of the cam plates arereached. The grabs are opened bythe narrowing of the camat this part 'suificiently to pass on each side of the con veyer'5lf, the released beets being caught in I "theconveyer and carried forwardly.

j The; ground engagin arms of .the grabs may beprfovided with extensible members .65 whereby the? nd en a ng e nt v elengthened ifdesired. .et..sic eimed 1:. A grab mechanism forharvesters comlnwardly of the plates 16 respective helical springs 25 are en. gaged between the arms 155 and arms 19 of prising parallelcams, opposed grip mem-' bers slidablv engaged therewith, outer mem on the side opposite the work engaging: ends of the grip members, resilient contractible connections between the grip and outer esf members at said side, means outwardly of means to move said grip and-outer members upon the cams. I i 7 2. In a grab mechan sm for harvesters, a

the connections to limit convergent move- .ment of; the resiliently connected parts, and

cam, a grab. unit including'afgrabarmiliaving bearing on the cam, 'a carrying member forlthje unit, sa'id grab arm having'pivotal and lateralsliding connection with the carrying member, resili'entxmeans connected to the arm under tension hold it in bearing onthe cam and means to movethe relatively to the cam.

.' 1' a grab mechanism for. harvesters an orbitally'moving supporting ,bio:dy,.a cam having a bearing face parallelto the patter the'said b'ody,transversely slidable members carried by said body, grab arms pivotally connectedto theslidable members, members H fixed with respect to said' body, and yieldfable. connections between the last-named said members and thegrab arms under tension to bearlthe grab arms upon the cam; 1

'4. A machine of the class described ineluding two orbitallymovable series oii'fgrab f I elements, each comprisin iini'ts, each unit including ground engaging arm having an inner portioirextended at right angles thereto, an annular member securedito saidfinner,

' ground-engaging .a'rm, gnide m ans on the inner portioniof the ground-engaging armfa po rtion of the units in respective series, a

stem slidable'therein, aveget'ablejgrippi'ng arm having its inner end pi l'otally'con- 110.

nected to the stem, anti-friction devicescarried by each of'saidarmsand engaging the edges ofthe cam plate, and resilient means co-en' 'a ed between said arms intermediately ofthe' cam plate and inner portion of theground-engagifng arm under tensionto contract.

5. A grab unit fora harvesterjof jthe class described,comprising a ground-engaging f arm stan'iped from sheet metal: having antinner end portion bent at-right angles to the outer part, a guide. element'on theouter" side. of said inner portiongaibro'adistem member slidable thereim a vegetable gripping arm pivotally connected at its i ner'end to the stern, intermediate portions of the metal in each of said arms being i pressed inwardly to form supporting ears, a shaft engagedffbetweentlfe'earsbf each arm, flanged 'rollers 'revoluble on the shafts and alined for enmy hand in presence of two subscribing witgagenllent witclll opplosite edges of a suppdortnesses. ing p ate, an resi ient meansconnecte to the arms intermediately of the rollers and JOHN STONE 5 inner portion of the first named arm under Witnesses:

contractile tension. H. L. WOODWARD, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set WALLACE J. HILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0. 

